Noddite Orb Superpower Source

[Vondy]

I am trying to tweak a character build.

 

The game could be defined as "biblical pulp noir superheroes." It draws heavily on midrash for its themes and origins. It assumes the following sources for superpowers: occultism, methuselah, the Biblical Goliath, and Noddite Orbs. People know about the supersoldiers, but the idea the supersoldier serum was taken from Goliath's bones is generally thought of as pure tabloid stuff. Comic style supers are Orb Holders, though power sets tend to be centered on one tight special effect with medium-hard rubber applications.

 

My issue is how to model the orbs. From the PBEM:

 

Gould eyeballed him sideways, palmed the orb, held it up display style on her fingertips. The orb, her hand, and forearm ignited in a flame that neither burned or ignited what it touched. An abstract face flashed over the surface of the orb. Suddenly sunglasses made sense: her irises had turned the same translucent color of the orb. "These are what its all about."

 

The initial feeling of unease the orb had given Clay had not abated; he still felt it tugging at his mind. It created a visceral, uncomfortable feeling akin to dread. This thing was dangerous. He asked: "How dangerous is that thing?"

 

"Depends who has it," she told him. "Contrary to popular myth the Neugotter Plague doesn't give superpowers. It just attunes a negligible number of survivors to a bigger world. Its the orbs that allow the attuned to bend the quantitative laws of nature. Without them there would be no Neugotters."

 

/SNIPPAGE

 

"Judah says they were made by Cain and his descendants," she told him. "At first they were a kind of memoir: they stored ideas and experiences. Cain wanted his descendants to learn from their ancestors. But his children forged them to claim immortality: to harness their consciousnesses. And then his grandchildren forged them to harness qualia, to quantify those things without measure, to bind them here on Earth with the names of God."

 

Clay shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his unease growing. "So according to Judah, this thing was made by the world's first murderer and his descendants? This gets better and better."

 

"He explains it better than I do," Gould said, taking the orb in both hands. The flames engulfed both of her arms. "He said Cain wrote books. That he tried to repent. That he sought to teach his children ethics and proper conduct." She pressed the orb against her midriff; the fire engulfed her entirely. The orb became immaterial, simply slid inside of her. For a brief second her voice was otherworldly: "But they didn't listen."

 

The fire went out, Gould's voice and eyes returned to normal: "Or so the legend goes. You'd have to ask him about it. He's the Baal Sodot. Mr. Secrets. He says we shouldn't use them too freely; without great need. He says using them is seizing the crown and sceptre of God. All I know is: I don't like having it inside me for too long, especially when I sleep. Its alive. Some kind of abstract intelligence. It can be seductive. It works on you. In your head. Quietly."

 

I've built the Orb holders as heroic normals with "spititual attunement" (a detect). After that I tack the powers of their orb onto the builds. Most of them have a VPP, EC, and appropriate additional sense. I've built them with the IIF and Personality Loss limitations. I am unsure about IIF because practically speaking it can only be taken away when its not in the holder. Its not too big a lim so its not much of a worry.

 

But my real issue is: Independent. Any Neugotter could take and use any Orb. And without an Orb a neugotter has no powers. The reason I'm iffy on it is: its not liable to happen unless its a major story event, or the character concept is being dramatically changed. I don't see it impeding the character often or much. At the same time, characters could switch out entire power sets by switching orbs. So they may not get "their orb" back, or be able to choose what Orb comes their way. As a result, I'm not sure how appropriate Independent is.

 

The whole structure feels wonky.

 

I was wondering, if instead, I should create a unique kind of Resource Point "Orb Points," that the characters can buy. The current limitation ratio would make 3:1 or 4:1 a good cost. In other words: treat the orbs like equipment.

 

Or something else?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I would just make them unique foci (but not Independent) similar to Captain America's shield.

 

Resource Points also seem a little weird because they seem to imply a 'universal' aspect to foci.

[Vondy]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

Resource Points also seem a little weird because they seem to imply a 'universal' aspect to foci.

 

That's just it, though. Anyone who has been "attuned" (about 6000 people) can use any orb (100 known, several hundred estimated). So while not universal in the sense that anyone could use them, they are usable by anyone within the "attuned" class of individuals.

 

Edit: I just looked it up. It does say truly unique items should not be purchased with resource points. Maybe I should just tally the total number of points they have in orb powers and put that as a line item on the sheet: "Orb Points." The orbs can be individual items.

[Lucius]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

That's just it' date=' though. Anyone who has been "attuned" (about 6000 people) can use any orb (100 known, several hundred estimated). So while not universal in the sense that anyone could use them, they are usable by anyone within the "attuned" class of individuals.[/quote']

 

The rules allow a Focus to be Universal or Personal. I have set up Foci that fell between the extremes - some defined class (such as the "attuned" individuals you have posited) can use them, but not everyone. No one's ever objected, and given that there is no cost difference from Universal to Personal, I don't see it as an issue to inhabit that conceptual space.

 

If someone tried to weasel out something like "can be used by someone else but only at the owner's will" THAT would be problematic, but you seem to have a precisely defined group of prospective users.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary wonders if this would be a good game for Hazel Elponi....

[Vondy]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

The rules allow a Focus to be Universal or Personal. I have set up Foci that fell between the extremes - some defined class (such as the "attuned" individuals you have posited) can use them' date=' but not everyone. No one's ever objected, and given that there is no cost difference from Universal to Personal, I don't see it as an issue to inhabit that conceptual space.[/quote']

 

Makes sense. And simple. I can just define the Focus as "attuned."

 

Repped.

 

Edit: the only issue I have is: its possible to lose a focus and not get it back, or switch it out, but that can be handwaved. "GM Allows Rewrite."

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I'd look at something like a VPP, No Control Over Which Powers, Requires Orb.

[Wolf]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I'd look at something like a VPP' date=' No Control Over Which Powers, Requires Orb.[/quote']

 

I was about to say... this.

 

Just make very hardlined VPP's.

 

The orb defines the powers that can be accessed via orb.

 

X orb can use predefined powers Z, G, F, and Q.

Y orb can use predefined powers L, R, G, and B.

Etc. But everyone who is attuned has the pool that can be accessed by the Orb.

[OddHat]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I'd treat it like Multiform.

 

The player starts as a Skilled Normal with a Mutiform into Himself + a 200 point Orb. Make that first Multiform a Unique Focus.

 

Each additional Orb he gets hold of is a new Multiform, costing him either 5 points / Focus Limit (he can save up points, or spend XP), and add in the Independent limit if the new Orb can be taken away.

 

Since the first Multiform isn't purchased as Independent, he's always going to have some access to at least one Orb of that point level as the campaign goes on.

 

Love the setting idea. I've used some similar themes.

[Vondy]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I'd look at something like a VPP' date=' No Control Over Which Powers, Requires Orb.[/quote']

 

I was about to say... this.

 

Just make very hardlined VPP's.

 

The orb defines the powers that can be accessed via orb.

 

X orb can use predefined powers Z, G, F, and Q.

Y orb can use predefined powers L, R, G, and B.

Etc. But everyone who is attuned has the pool that can be accessed by the Orb.

 

I had built the characters with VPPs, but most of them also have ECs and a few defensive/sensory powers that come from the orbs as well. I could just give them a massive VPP with "powers defined by orb." I'm pretty sure that would end up jacking the cost through the roof. It doesn't hurt to fiddle. Hero Designer truncates the time factor.

[Vondy]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

I'd treat it like Multiform.

 

The player starts as a Skilled Normal with a Mutiform into Himself + a 200 point Orb. Make that first Multiform a Unique Focus.

 

Each additional Orb he gets hold of is a new Multiform, costing him either 5 points / Focus Limit (he can save up points, or spend XP), and add in the Independent limit if the new Orb can be taken away.

 

Since the first Multiform isn't purchased as Independent, he's always going to have some access to at least one Orb of that point level as the campaign goes on.

 

Love the setting idea. I've used some similar themes.

 

Very interesting. I will fiddle with this.

 

I traditionally avoid MF because I want a single sheet.

 

But this doesn't really require a second sheet.

 

One question: when you say....

 

costing him either 5 points / Focus Limit

 

Do you mean "an additional focus for +5 points" or "new form divided by 5"?

[OddHat]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

Very interesting. I will fiddle with this.

 

I traditionally avoid MF because I want a single sheet.

 

But this doesn't really require a second sheet.

 

One question: when you say....

 

 

 

Do you mean "an additional focus for +5 points" or "new form divided by 5"?

 

Each additional Orb is an additional new form, costing only 5 active points, as per the Multiform rules. Those 5 points are then divided by whatever limits you put on them, probably Focus and Independent.

 

So the character ends up paying a fair chunk of points for his or her first Orb, in exchange for knowing that you won't leave him or her depowered for long unless it's a major plot point. If he manages to pick up additional orbs, he doesn't have to sink many points into them (unless they allow an even more powerful form than his original Orb); however, he also doesn't have that guarantee that he'll be able to hang on to the new Orb.

 

If someone could use multiple Orbs at once, that would constitute a new Most Expensive Form (again as per the MF rules), and the difference would have to be paid for.

[Vondy]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

Each additional Orb is an additional new form, costing only 5 active points, as per the Multiform rules. Those 5 points are then divided by whatever limits you put on them, probably Focus and Independent.

 

So the character ends up paying a fair chunk of points for his or her first Orb, in exchange for knowing that you won't leave him or her depowered for long unless it's a major plot point. If he manages to pick up additional orbs, he doesn't have to sink many points into them (unless they allow an even more powerful form than his original Orb); however, he also doesn't have that guarantee that he'll be able to hang on to the new Orb.

 

If someone could use multiple Orbs at once, that would constitute a new Most Expensive Form (again as per the MF rules), and the difference would have to be paid for.

 

Makes sense. I like it.

[Wolf]

Re: Noddite Orb Superpower Source

 

Each additional Orb is an additional new form, costing only 5 active points, as per the Multiform rules. Those 5 points are then divided by whatever limits you put on them, probably Focus and Independent.

 

So the character ends up paying a fair chunk of points for his or her first Orb, in exchange for knowing that you won't leave him or her depowered for long unless it's a major plot point. If he manages to pick up additional orbs, he doesn't have to sink many points into them (unless they allow an even more powerful form than his original Orb); however, he also doesn't have that guarantee that he'll be able to hang on to the new Orb.

 

If someone could use multiple Orbs at once, that would constitute a new Most Expensive Form (again as per the MF rules), and the difference would have to be paid for.

 

Very elegant.